Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Jenna was busy in dreamland when her annoying alarm clock rang noisily, pulling her unconscious mind from her crazy dream. Popping an eye open from under the blanket, she squinted to find the clock with her hand blindly pushing everything off her table. After what seemed like hours, she finally found the notch and turned it off. Drifting back to sleep, she continued where she left off.
“Jenna!” Joe called from the hallway. He was ready and was putting on his watch “Jenna!!” he banged on her door louder.
She groaned painfully “Let me sleep! It’s Sunday.”
He raised a brow when realizing she forgot what the day was. Trying the knob, he noticed it was lock “Jenna, open this door!” he cried with his fist pounding on the wooden door.
“No!” she replied.
Joe nodded with an unsatisfied look “Fine, I warned you.” Returning to his room, he retrieved his pick lock tools and returned to her door. Within seconds, he had accomplished in opening the door. Letting out a sigh, he noticed she was curled up under the blanket like a huge lump “Did you forget today is your training session to be a secretary? How do you expect to get the job if you sleep all day?” His hands on his hips as he lectured her on the importance of responsibility. After a few minutes, he noticed the lump wasn’t even moving “Jenna?” he turned his head suspiciously.
He moved closer until his hand rested on the lump and instantly rolled his eyes as he yanked off the blanket, uncovering the two pillows she stuffed under the sheets. Letting out a sigh as he shook his head, the only place she could hide was the closet. Walking over to her mirrored sliding doors, he opened it and appeared a curled up Jenna relaxing against her pile of clothes she didn’t have time to hang up “You found me.” She said unenthusiastically.
“Come on.” He reached out a hand and she took it unwillingly.
“Just five more minutes?” she pleaded.
Joe shook his head firmly “No.”
“Two minutes?” Jenna begged.
“You can sleep in the bathroom for two minutes. Now go before I have to use my fatherly tone on you!” Joe scowled.
It only made Jenna laugh when he attempted to use the father authority threat “Please Joe, I can’t laugh with an empty stomach!” she crouched over painfully with a grinning face.
“It’s dad when we are at home, how many times do you I have to tell you that?” he scolded.
“Hmm…let’s see. You can tell me a hundred times, a thousand times, a million times and it would still be the same. I prefer Joe.” She nodded convincingly.
The playful smile she gave him was irresistible as he pushed her head with force “Shut up and go clean up. Your breath stinks.”
“Thank you!” she breathed purposely.
Joe grimaced disgustedly “How will I ever marry you off?”
“You won’t!” she concluded before slamming the door of the bathroom closed. Ten minutes later, she emerged from her bedroom dressed in jeans and a casual shirt with a printed logo of spider-man “Ready?” she nodded.
Joe dropped his paper and got up from his seat, he did a double take on his daughter’s style of clothing “Wait.” He stopped her with a hand and looked at her up and down “What is this?” he pointed disapprovingly.
“Spider-man.” She answered a matter-of-fact “I thought the cartoon was from your time? Shouldn’t you know who he is? Are you telling me you’re THAT old?” she teased.
“I know who he is.” He sighed, “Why don’t you dress more professionally, get into the role playing a bit more.”
Jenna put on her whiny face “I don’t wanna! I’m comfortable, it’s Friday! I want to walk in my shoes and sit in my jeans and—”
“Alright!” he interrupted her as she put on an instant smile “You can wear that. Come on, we’re already late.” He rushed her out the door.
“I wasn’t the one that wanted me to change.” Jenna reminded him. Joe gave her a fatherly scowl “Ooh, that’s good. It almost looked real.” She teased openly “I think I got a goosebump.”
Joe chuckled despite how frustrated he was with his daughter “I pity the fool that’s going to fall under your spell.”
“Me too, Joe.” She nodded in agreement “Hey, who is training me?”
“Darren, Mark, Erin and Mia.” Joe answered.
“No Ryan?” Jenna asked casually.
They stepped out of the elevator and into the parking structure. He spotted his car with ease as he unlocked it and the two entered “Jenna, I want to ask you something.” He said before turning on the car.
“I don’t like him.” She read his mind.
Joe stared intently at his daughter, hoping she was being honest “He just lost a wife, the last thing a man needs is another woman.” He said wisely.
“I know. It was just a casual question.” Jenna insisted, “Now come on, we’re going to be late!”
*************
The two entered the room with the four already seated and all had notes in their hands “Well, well, well…someone decided to finally come.” Mia teased.
Joe laughed “Ask the star.” He pointed a thumb at Jenna “It’s like dragging a possum from a trashcan. She didn’t want to get out bed.”
“Maybe she just forgot?” Mark came to her defense.
“Thank you!” Jenna nodded while taking a seat at the head of the table “Wow, this is really comfortable! No wonder Matt likes it here.” She cracked.
“Let me try!!” Mia exclaimed as she got up from her seat and practically yanked Jenna out of the chair so she could try. She sunk into the leather cushion with a moan “Hmm, this does feel good.”
Erin shook her head with a small smile “Come on girls, let’s get serious.”
Darren nudged her gently “She IS serious.”
Joe suddenly clapped his hands to get their attention “Okay, I leave her in your hands. I will trust that she be well trained by the end of today. Erin, you’re in charge. Darren, make sure that she doesn’t lag off.”
“Are you talking about Mia or Jenna?” Darren quipped causing Mark to burst into giggles. Mia and Jenna instead scowled at him.
“Both.” Joe concluded and waved goodbye to him.
After Joe left, Jenna let out a relieved sigh “Finally! He’s gone. Let’s get something to eat, my treat!” she offered while getting up and walking towards the door.
Erin nodded to Mark as he quickly got up and blocked her way “Sorry.” He apologized sympathetically “I have orders.”
Jenna turned to the three experienced agents “Joe’s gone, we don’t have to actually work.” She reminded them. Looking at Mia for support, she begged her with pleading eyes.
“Sorry girl, I’m with the boring people today.” Mia said with a shrugged shoulder.
“Fine!” Jenna accepted defeat as she returned to the seat and slumped down “Whatever you do, just spare my life.”
Erin smiled “Don’t be another Mia.” She turned to her friend with a wink and Mia looked bored as she nodded “Okay, let’s start with the clothes.”
Jenna quickly sat upright “Joe said I could wear whatever I want!” she lied in her own defense.
Darren raised his brows “Really? I recall it was Joe that came up with the idea that you come dressed ready for a professional interview. What did he say…” he knitted his brows at his wife.
“That it would be a sign of dedication.” Mia finished for him.
“Yes!” he smiled.
Jenna was embarrassed when caught in a lie “Whatever. Would you rather me go home and look through my pile of clothes to see if I have anything professional to wear?”
“No. We’ve wasted enough time.” Erin replied as she nodded to Mark to begin.
He got up and dimmed the light and used the huge screen to give them a slide show “I put this together last night.” He said proudly and began skimming through each pictures “This is a picture of a well dressed secretary, notice her skirt is not too short and not too long. It is enough to catch the boss’s attention but still professional. The next picture is absolutely unacceptable. Notice the bra showing and the skirt is too high above the knee…” he went through a total of twenty pictures within half an hour.
When the lights were turned on, they found Jenna asleep with her arms under her cheek “The poor kid.” Mia sympathized.
Darren shook his head as he turned to Erin “You think if we pour ice cold water in her shirt, she would wake?”
Like a daisy, Jenna popped from her sleeping stature “I’m awake!”
Erin nodded at Darren “Is that why Joe asked you to come and help. Motivation?” she stood up and asked for all of them to stand up “Let’s give Jenna a real live interview with a rich boss. Darren, you play the role. We’ll see what we have to work with.” The three moved aside for Darren and Jenna to be alone.
He molded into his role-play to perfection, but it could be that he was acting like himself. He sat at the end of the table deeply involved with his paperwork. Jenna straightened her shirt and knocked on the table “Come in.” Darren said in a deep voice without looking up.
“Mr. Chiu?” Jenna asked and waited for him to acknowledge her “I’m Jenna Cheung, here for an interview?”
“Yes. I know.” Darren replied with a hint of annoyance “Have a seat.” He glanced at her up and down with narrowed beady eyes. She sat down with a straight back and crossed legs. He leaned back on his chair in observance and began the questions “Why do you want this job?”
Jenna raised her brow “Excuse me?”
“Goodbye, I do not want to hire someone who does not understand what my questions mean.” He said briefly and began engaging in the papers under his hands again.
“Wait, wait!” Jenna argued, “Let me do it again.”
Darren sighed, “Jenna, you will not get a second chance. You have to be ready for any question, regardless of what they mean. He could throw out a horrible lose-lose question and you will never know it’s coming.”
“Is that what you do to your secretaries?” Jenna questioned.
“Sometimes.” He nodded.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I can.” He replied with a crooked grin.
Mia turned to her friend “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“We better order some lunches.” Erin sighed.
“Mark?” Mia smiled at the young handsome Darren look-a-like.
“Barbeque pork and rice sounds good?” he asked. The girls nodded thankfully as he got up and left the room to fetch the lunches.
“Smart kid.” Mia commented.
Erin nodded “Too smart.”
“What do you mean? Isn’t that a good thing?” Mia questioned, she could sense when her friend was being suspicious.
“He could appear to be a know it all and give the wrong impression to fellow agents.” She said wisely.
“You mean like you?” Mia asked “But then again, you were stubborn too. That was a bad combination.”
“I suppose.” Erin smiled recalling the past.